practices, and biases – and this limits their access to economic and social opportunities as well as healthcare and education. But this has been compounded by the pandemic. Experts are predicting the effects of the pandemic will have longlasting impacts, especially on education. Between 2014 and 2016, the Ebola outbreak saw many girls not returning to classrooms following school closures, and similar closures due to Coronavirus outbreaks could have the same effect. Lockdown regulations have also seen an increased amount of gender-based violence in homes, and reduced economic conditions caused by unemployment could force girls out of schools and into low paying jobs or childcare roles. This is why lobby groups have urged governments to put women and girls at the centre of their Covid-19 responses. Key to this is investing in the education sector, as skilling girls to work in the rapidly changing technological and digital sectors offers the opportunity for generating income and participating in the formal labour market.
a crisis should not exacerbate the existing crises of gender equality…. Putting women and girls at the centre of the Covid-19 response is crucial to rebuilding from the crisis and creating more productive, inclusive economies.” Creating far-reaching social and economic impact Aside from promoting access to human rights, investing in girls can have a significant economic and social impact. Every girl has the right to go to school, stay safe from violence, access health services, and fully participate in her community. But when girls are empowered, educated and healthy, their family dynamics improve. Research by UNESCO has found that improving girls’ education was linked to the survival of 2.1 million children under age 5 over a 20-year period, in part because it reduces unwanted pregnancies, as well as infant
and mother mortality. Research has suggested that for every additional year of schooling, a girl’s eventual wages will increase between 12 and 14%. These earnings can be invested into her family or can go towards stimulating the local economy, in turn creating more opportunities for other women. This means that educated girls are likely to have healthier, better-educated children and earn higher income – two key aspects in breaking the cycle of poverty. They are also more likely to drive economic transformation. Increasing the number of girls who complete their secondary education by only one per cent, could cause economic growth of around 0.3%, studies have shown. Creating an economy that girls can participate in will become increasingly important, as the continent experiences a sharp increase in the youth population over the next few decades.
Matshidiso Masire, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s representative for Southern Africa, says: “Covid-19 revealed the extent of gender inequities that continue to exist in the world and has also unleashed a parallel pandemic – genderbased violence. It has brought to the fore the urgency with which these issues must be addressed and showcased how
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